Patent GB-190802720-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to the Treatment of Gaseous Fuels and in Apparatus therefor.
Filed: 1908-02-06
Granted: 1909-01-14
Abstract: 2720. Compagnie du Gaz de Lyon. March 1, 1907, [date applied for under Section 91 of Patents &c. Act, 1907]. No Patent granted (Sealing fee not paid). Gas manufacture, processes for; purifying gas; mater gas.-In connexion with apparatus for treating gaseous fuel containing carbon monoxide, particularly that in which water gas is treated with steam in the presence of metals and their oxides and salts, 'with subsequent removal of the carbon dioxide formed, means are provided for recovering the expended energy and heat which result from the manufacture of the gases and from their variations in temperature and pressure as well as the variations in temperature and pressure upon the liquids employed. The gas generated in a watergas generator A is led through valves B<1>, B<2> into a catalyser C containing iron oxide, pipes D<1>, D<2> allowing the necessary admixture of steam. The gases pass thence through valves E', E' into two heat-interchangers F, G, through a washer H, and one or more iron oxide or other purifiers L, to a compression-pump M. The purifiers L, used more particularly for removing sulphurous impurities, may be omitted if pure carbon dioxide is not desired. The compressed gases pass through a refrigerator N to the bottom of a saturation column O, where in the descending liquid solvent dissolves the contained carbon dioxide. The liquid thus charged rises in another column Q R of such height that it takes its level in an open vessel R at the top of the column under atmospheric pressure. As the liquid rises and is thus subjected to a decreasing pressure, bubbles of gas form and their rise facilitates the circulation of the liquid. The liquid having lost part of its carbon dioxide passes back to the saturation column O through a pipe S, reservoir T, and pipe U. To start and regulate the circulation in the upward column Q R, use is made of a pump, compressed-air injector, or source of heat, at its base Q. In order completely to desaturate the liquid of carbon dioxide, connexion between the vessel R and reservoir T is made through a siphon V, having a vacuum at its top, instead of through a simple pipe S. Thus carbon dioxide passes off from the vessel R at atmospheric pressure but is sucked off from the top of the siphon V by a pump or injector. Instead of using the siphon V, relief from pressure may be carried out in any pressure-interchanging apparatus in which there are changes of pressure which allow the utilization of all or a part of the available energy, and to use it, in particular, to inject into the column under pressure either new liquid or liquid which has been used. From the saturation column 0, the undissolved and purified gases pass away through a regulating-valve, which is more or less opened as the liquid falls or rises in the column 0, to be superheated in the second heatinterchanger G before passing, for example, to a hot-air engine P which works the compressor M. The gases have now expanded and are ready for use. It is stated that the process may be combined with processes which exclusively utilize the variations in temperature of the liquids employed for washing the gases ; the chambers R, Y for cooling the gases are then hot chambers as well as lowpressure chambers, and the saturation column 0 is the cold portion and at the same time the highpressure portion. The gas generator A used may be of the Delwick and Fleischer type, production taking p!ace alternately from top to bottom and vice versa. In the catalyser C, secondary air inlets allow of initial heating by the burning of gas from the generator at the top J<1> or bottom J<2>, the products of this combustion passing out through a valve K. The first heat-interchanger F may serve to superheat the steam blown into the generator A or catalyser C. The saturation column 0 and vessel R are provided with baffles or other suitable means for retarding the rise of the gases and facilitating the evolution of the dissolved gases respectively.